ENERCON Services East, P.C. recently completed a Nuclear Feasibility Study for the State of Michigan. This study was delivered by the Michigan Public Service Commission to the state legislature and Governor on March 20, 2024. The study was conducted at the direction of Michigan Public Acts 166 and 218 of 2022, which required the study to be completed by April 2024. Items addressed by the study included the following:

• A background history of nuclear power
• Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power
• Economic impacts that would result from nuclear power construction projects and operations
• An overview of existing nuclear power in Michigan
• New nuclear technologies under development
• Areas other than electrical generation where nuclear energy could be utilized
• Timelines of nuclear power development projects
• The policy landscape relating to nuclear energy, from both a national and state level
• Modeling a hypothetical future power grid mix including new nuclear generation within Michigan, including associated emissions profiles

The economic impact assessments and grid mix modeling were conducted by Veritas Economics in partnership with ENERCON. Recommendations for Michigan were provided based on the study’s various sections.

ENERCON led three public meetings to gather input from interested members of the public (first meeting link, second meeting link, third meeting link) and held bi-weekly meetings with the MPSC staff through the development process of the study. ENERCON addressed the input gathered from the public along with input from the MPSC Commissioners and Staff to finalize the study delivered to the legislature and Governor. The primary takeaways from the study are that nuclear power can offer substantial benefits by providing reliable, high-capacity factor, clean electricity generation along with job creation and region-wide economic benefits. However, project timelines are not expected to be short and overall capital costs are anticipated to be expensive, particularly for First of a Kind (FOAK) nuclear technology builds.

This study provides an excellent starting point as a compilation of background information for various historical developments and ongoing design, environmental, and societal considerations for nuclear power and its potential applications, with numerous source documents referenced within the report. For more information about ENERCON and ENERCON’s capabilities or to contact ENERCON regarding further studies or engineering and design services, visit https://www.enercon.com/.